Year of entry

UCAS code

Duration

Start date

Location

Typical offer

88 - 104 UCAS points

The course

There is an ever-increasing demand for food, with the UK relying on both imports and exports to feed itself and drive economic growth. Behind the supermarket shelves lies a globalised supply chain that is sensitive to economic and environmental events, e.g. too much or too little rain can reduce or devastate harvests.

This dynamic complexity, together with more demanding consumers and concerns about food safety and security, local sourcing and carbon footprints make this an exciting and challenging employment sector.

To deal with these issues this course develops skills across business, agriculture and food disciplines, producing well-qualified managers who are sought after in the agri-food sector.

Students are able to register with the Chartered Management Institute and gain a level 5 Award or Certificate in Management and Leadership alongside their degree programme.

Entry requirements for 2018

What will I study?

Study time

The percentage of time spent in different learning activities for this year of study:

Assessment methods

This is the breakdown of assessment methods for this year of study:

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Work placement

BSc students undertake work placement in their third year. The one-year placement will help you put theory into practise in a commercial environment. Recent placement employers have included Noble Foods, Asda, Frontier Agriculture Ltd, Dairy Crest, Promar International, MMUK and Univeg UK. Students have undertaken roles as diverse as promotions co-ordination, financial management and planning, product range management, quality control and market research.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is the leading professional body for marketers worldwide and exists to develop the marketing profession, maintain professional standards and improve the skills of marketing practitioners Harper Adams University has joined forces with CIM to give students the opportunity to gain professional qualifications through CIM Graduate Gateway. CIM qualifications are highly sought after by employers, and map alongside our own degrees which ensures we are equipping students with the best opportunities for a successful marketing career.

Teaching and learning

What you study

The courses are built around a balanced programme of marketing, business, agriculture and food production so that you fully understand the concept of field to fork.

In the 1st year you study animal and crop production alongside a range of business modules but in subsequent years you move away from the “field” and learn how to satisfy the needs of customers in business to business and business to consumer relationships.

Teaching and learning

Learning at Higher Education level is a big step up from further education so we make sure you get lots of advice and support. Everyone learns differently and in the workplace you’ll need to work in different ways, so we make sure our courses test you in every way possible. Therefore, you will attend lectures and tutorials, undertake regular hands-on practical work in the laboratories or on the farm, sit exams, and complete coursework assignments. Guest speakers and visits to industry all support the learning. All students undertaken a major project in their final year concentrating on a topic that is of particular interest to them.

Assessment methods

Assessment is via a balance of course work and examination. Students receive written feedback on all course work to help them improve. In addition, first year students undertake examinations in two subjects at the end of the first term to enable them to gauge how they are progressing and feedback is provided on these exams. Examples of assessments may include a group of 3 students present on a specific issue in food production – e.g. pesticide residues in crops / fresh produce – and how the relevant farm assurance schemes requirements effectively manages the risk to levels which remove the problem / risk from the food chain.

Careers

The careers of agri-food business graduates span the whole food supply chain, from agricultural merchants and pharmaceuticals companies to food manufacturers, distributors, retailers and traders. A combination of business and marketing skills plus technical awareness, make graduates attractive to organisations in the agri-food sector.

The transferable nature of the commercial skills developed enables graduates to work in government, trade and overseas development organisations, banks, specialist market research agencies and consultancies. Many have also found that this qualification equips them to set up and successfully run their own food, farm or rurally-based enterprise.

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